Customer Service - or not - share your experiences

[trailmix 77]

I just had a customer service chat with a person at overstock.com - I ordered some sheets and well....you can see below what happened.

I understand this person is probably bored to tears with her job...it happens, and I really didn't mean to give her a hard time, but after going around in circles with her for 15 minutes, when she could have answered in 2 - had she read my question and stopped relying on every pre-typed-canned answer she had on hand - I began to lose patience.

On the flip side, UPS was great - then again, maybe it's their system that got the address wrong - who knows.

Welcome to Overstock.com's Customer Service Live Chat! You will be joined with a chat representative as quickly as possible. (Less than 2 minutes)

Welcome to Overstock.com Customer Service, you are now chatting with Caitlin.

Caitlin: Thanks for visiting Overstock.com, this is Caitlin, how can I help you today?

you: Hi, I placed an order the other day and I was just tracking it online and it has an 'exception' - for some reason the apartment number did not appear on the shipping label

you: Order Number: -----------

Caitlin: Hello, I'm sorry to hear that. Let me see what I can do to help you.

Caitlin: For security purposes, can you please verify the full name and billing address on the account?

you: I have called UPS and had them add the Unit number, i'm just wondering why that happened

you: ------------

Caitlin: Thank you for verifying the name and the billing address.

Caitlin: Are you referring to the order that you placed for '-----Sheet Set'-----?

you: yes

Caitlin: Thank you for confirming the order.

Caitlin: Would you mind holding for 3 to 5 minutes while I check on that for you?

you: sure

Caitlin: Thanks for holding.

Caitlin: On reviewing your account, I see that, this order was placed on 08/20/2008 and it has been shipped via UPS on 08/21/2008.

Caitlin: The UPS tracking states that, the apartment number is missing and UPS is attempting to obtain this information and later it states that, a delivery change request for this package will be processed and delivery to an alternative address was requested.

Caitlin: I understand that, you contact UPS and provided the suite number.

Caitlin: Could you please let me know what UPS said when you contacted them?

Caitlin: *contacted UPS

you: they said they would deliver it tomorrow

you: they also said there was no apartment number given with the address

Caitlin: Okay, at this point, I'd request you to wait for this order to be delivered to you. (obviously not a canned answer )

Caitlin: You can expect your item to be delivered to their destination within 5-10 business days from the order date.

you: delivered to their destination?

Caitlin: I'm sorry.

Caitlin: You can expect your item to be delivered to your destination within 5-10 business days from the order date.

Caitlin: I'd request you to wait for this item to be delivered to you.

you: ok

Caitlin: This order is within our shipping timeframe and should be delivered to you on or before by 09/04/2008.

Caitlin: if this item is not delivered within the timeframe mentioned by me, please feel free to contact us, we will be glad to help you further.

Caitlin: Or, if the tracking states that, this item is returned back to us, please let us know. \

Caitlin: *.

Caitlin: We will be glad to help you further in this regard and resolve your issue to your satisfaction.

Caitlin: I'll also leave a note on your account so that this can be followed up promptly.

Caitlin: I hope this resolves the issue to your satisfaction.

you: not really no

Caitlin: I appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.

Caitlin: Is there anything else that I can help you with?

you: you haven't answered my question, the question i originally asked

you: I figured out all the other stuff myself, I called UPS, I tracked the package, I made the correction

Caitlin: I'm sorry.

Caitlin: I've checked this for you and I see that, the shipping address for this order is as:

Caitlin: ----------------

Caitlin: ----------------

Caitlin: ----------------

Caitlin: ----------------

you: yes

Caitlin: We do not have the information as to how the unit number was missing and I apologize for the problem.

Caitlin: I can assure you that this is not the way we do business.

Caitlin: Such an incident is an isolated one and is quite rare. I am sorry that it happened in your case.

Caitlin: Please do give us another chance to demonstrate the care we take in helping our customers to shop with us in a better way.

you: ok, that's all I needed to know, this is my first order with overstock

Caitlin: I regret any inconvenience that this may cause you.

you: thanks

Caitlin: I hope you’ll give us another chance to demonstrate our commitment to excellent customer service.

Caitlin: You're most welcome.

Caitlin: It's my pleasure helping a valued customer like you.

Caitlin: Do you have any additional questions I can help you with?

you: no thank you

Caitlin: Thanks for shopping with Overstock.com. Enjoy your day.

[Krikit 1,163]

Wow. That's even more irritating than talking with a live helpline.

[Lona.C. 16]

damn , i would have asked to have the shipping cost droped or taxes or something to make up for theyr mistake

if they wanted to keep me as a valued costumer

[Carlawarla 1]

Gosh how canned. You can tell that her responses do not even wait for you to respond, and as well, are not in direct response to your question. I'd send them a copy of what occurred ...they'd realize how idiotic it sounds! Geesh! Sounds like a robot!

[Mephys 2]

I bet ya the poor girl just doesn't know quite yet how to use her canned answers....

Sorry they were so dumb about this Trailmix

Honestly though, my husband have ordered numerous times on overstock, and the service is usually really great. And the quality of the products too. We've ordered bathroom towels, bedsheets, blue jeans for him, shirts, etc. And never got disappointed.

This whole deal reminds me that, on one of our credit cards bill, the appartment number is missing, and every month when I send the payment, I highlight in yellow the missing numbers, right it down everywhere, even put a note "Please add appartment number" and then I check mark the box that says to look for changed information or updated information and then correct it on the back....Been 6 months and they still haven't chagned it... Dumb.

[Krikit 1,163]

I bet ya the poor girl just doesn't know quite yet how to use her canned answers....

I imagined someone sitting at their desk talking to their buddy on the phone when the computer assigned her Trailmix's call. So she clicks on the button to begin the canned programming and continues to talk with her friend, thinking she has another 5 minutes while Trailmix is busy answering the questions.

This whole deal reminds me that, on one of our credit cards bill, the appartment number is missing, and every month when I send the payment, I highlight in yellow the missing numbers, right it down everywhere, even put a note "Please add appartment number" and then I check mark the box that says to look for changed information or updated information and then correct it on the back....Been 6 months and they still haven't chagned it... Dumb.

They probably don't understand your French.

[Mephys 2]

This whole deal reminds me that, on one of our credit cards bill, the appartment number is missing, and every month when I send the payment, I highlight in yellow the missing numbers, right it down everywhere, even put a note "Please add appartment number" and then I check mark the box that says to look for changed information or updated information and then correct it on the back....Been 6 months and they still haven't chagned it... Dumb.

They probably don't understand your French.

Well mind you, I just saw we received that bill again yesterday, and the appartment number is on it

Took 4 months, not bad, not bad!!!